Thaumatin as a food additive: safety re-evaluation
What it found
The authors found no safety concern for thaumatin (E 957) at the levels people consume.
They also said there is no need for a numerical acceptable daily intake.
What they found
Studies in people
Allergy in people
The authors could not reach a conclusion on whether thaumatin causes allergic reactions when eaten, based on the available human data.
Exposure and safety margin
The highest 95th percentile exposure in consumers only was 0.48 mg/kg bodyweight per day. The margin of safety was 5,417, which the authors considered an underestimate.
Animal and lab studies
Animal toxicity studies
No harmful effects were seen in rats and dogs given thaumatin at the highest doses tested, up to 5,200 and 1,476 mg/kg bodyweight per day. A prenatal developmental toxicity study up to 2,000 mg/kg bodyweight per day also found no harmful effects.
Other findings
What thaumatin is
Thaumatin is a natural plant protein made of thaumatin I and thaumatin II proteins, along with small amounts of other plant materials. It is obtained by acidic water extraction from the arils of the fruit of the Thaumatococcus daniellii plant.
DNA damage
The authors found no concern about thaumatin damaging DNA.
What the authors conclude
“The Panel concluded that there is no need for a numerical acceptable daily intake (ADI) for thaumatin (E 957) and, based on a margin of safety (MOS) of 5,417, considered to be an underestimate and derived using the highest 95th percentile (P95) exposure of 0.48 mg/kg bw per day in consumers only, there is no safety concern for thaumatin (E 957) at the regulatory maximum level exposure assessment scenario, which was considered the most appropriate.”
Also in their conclusions
- They concluded that there is no need for a numerical acceptable daily intake (ADI) for thaumatin (E 957).
- They considered that there is no safety concern for thaumatin (E 957) at the regulatory maximum level exposure assessment scenario, which was considered the most appropriate.
- The authors recommended that the European Commission considers introducing in the EU specifications for thaumatin (E 957) a new specification limit for the minimum combined content of thaumatin I and II proteins, a specification limit for yeast, mould counts and Salmonella spp, and lowering the existing maximum limit for arsenic along with the inclusion of maximum limits for mercury and cadmium.
How it was done
Thaumatin (E 957) needed to be re-evaluated for its use as a food additive.
The authors looked at how much thaumatin people consume, whether it can damage DNA, whether it causes allergies, and whether it causes harm in animal studies. They reviewed rat and dog studies at doses up to 5,200 and 1,476 mg/kg bodyweight per day, and a prenatal developmental toxicity study up to 2,000 mg/kg bodyweight per day.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- The authors could not draw a conclusion on oral allergenicity from the available human data.
- The animal studies cannot show what happens in people.
The paper
- Title
- Re-evaluation of thaumatin (E 957) as food additive
- Type
- Scientific opinion of the European Food Safety Authority
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF), Younes M, Aquilina G, et al (2021). Re-evaluation of thaumatin (E 957) as food additive. EFSA journal. European Food Safety Authority. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2021.6884Free full textPubMed 34876926DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error